Agartala, Jan 15: The Tripura Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill proposing a nearly 100 percent increase in the salaries, pensions, and allowances for the Chief Minister, ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Under the new proposal, the Chief Minister’s monthly salary will rise to Rs 97,000, along with an additional sumptuary allowance of Rs 13,000. Ministers and the Leader of the Opposition will receive Rs 95,000, with a Rs 12,000 allowance. MLAs will now earn Rs 93,000 in salary, plus Rs 12,000 as an allowance.

The salaries for the Chief Minister, ministers, and MLAs were previously in the range of Rs 48,000 to Rs 50,000.

The Salaries, Allowances, Pension, and Other Benefits of CM, DyCM, Ministers, Speaker, Dy Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Chief Whip, and MLAs Amendment Bill 2024 was introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath.

Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chowdhury raised concerns over the scale of the salary hike, stating that while regular salary revisions were necessary, the proposed increase seemed excessive. He emphasized the need for transparency in the process.

Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman also expressed concerns regarding medical reimbursements, suggesting that an upper cap should be set, as some lawmakers were reportedly claiming up to Rs 30,000 per month in medical bills.

Minister Nath defended the bill, arguing that even with the proposed increase, Tripura’s lawmakers would still have the lowest allowances compared to other states. He pointed out that the last salary hike had occurred six years ago and stressed that the revision was essential to support the state’s development.